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The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

This book has been on my list for such a long time and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. I will definitely be continuing the series.

If you are a bibliophile with a deep love of classic literature, this book will touch you in many ways. The story follows a female detective named Thursday Next in a special department of the police that focuses on literature-related crimes like thefts of valuable books, forgeries, etc. The author does an excellent job creating a villain that is not only dangerous to human lives, but also to literature itself. When Hades finds a way to take beloved characters from books, permanently changing classic books for all time, Thursday has to stop him, even if it means risking her life and following him into these stories herself. If you love the book Jane Eyre, you will feel personally invested in her mission and you will love getting to see her interact with thr characters you know and love.

I would have given the book 5 stars but I had a few issues with it. Our heroine seems overly preoccupied with getting married and having children that it borders on desperation. There are even multiple moments where she seems to see every man as a possible future mate and makes many embarrassing assumptions about the intentions of other men. It’s awkward and makes it difficult for you to feel invested in the feelings she has for her eventual love interest. Can’t a woman just be a badass detective without constantly worrying about marrying every man she sees and having everyone around her discuss her future baby-making? Her eventual relationship lacks passion and seems anti-climactic. He doesn’t deserve her and it feels like she is settling for the only decent guy that would have her. Other than this one issue, I loved the writing, I loved the plot. The setting is unique and fascinating and I look forward to reading the rest!